Nov 15, 2018 | Jeff Luddington | 384 views
Highs and Lows and Lessons
The Brampton 45s Minor Midget A team got off to an excellent start, winning all three of their opening round games in the Stoney Creek Champions Tourney. Expectations grew with every win, and they put themselves in an excellent position going into the semi finals as the #1 seed.
But that's where things started to unravel. The semi-final game started fairly well, but a lack of discipline resulted in penalty trouble in all three periods. Making matters worse, players voiced their frustrations with the refs, which resulted in several unsportsmanlike penalties.
"We made a bad situation, much much worse" coach Luddington said. "I didn't agree with every call, but refs are people too. They make mistakes and they don't like being treated with disrespect."
All in all, the team racked up 20 minutes in minor penalties and 30 minutes in total penalties. 30 minutes in a 40 minute game... you're not going to win many of those.
But, it was still a winnable game. In fact, it was close right till the end, and the outcome might have been different were it not for Stoney Creek's goalie, who played fantastic.
"I hope my players learned a lesson today" coach Luddington said. "When refs make a call you disagree with, take it as a personal challenge. Face the adversity head-on. Sometimes life just isn't fair, and you have to buckle down and try harder and play smarter. Above all, maintain your focus and composure. That's what champions do."